Truth in Lies
by theimprobableone
Summary: Gene Hunt is haunted by the secrets of his past, Alex Drake is haunted by the secrets of the future, she's convinced that nothing in 1981 is real, or matters. But maybe just maybe, someone can convince her otherwise. rubbish summary, I know. GALEX.
1. Chapter 1

_I do not own A2A, but some lucky person does! (the beeb most likely)_

_Be kind, it's my first A2A fanfic  
_

_Gene/Alex_

_~*~_

Chapter 1

DI Sam Tyler was a pain in the backside. DS Ray Carling had hated him. DC Chris Skelton had worshipped him. WDC Annie Cartwright had loved him. DCI Gene Hunt had respected him. Now he was gone. Gene held his cigarette to his lips, inhaling deeply, his whiskey bottle tight in his other hand. He tried to ignore the involuntary tears cascading down his cheeks. This was policing. This was what happened. People died. No-one lived forever, and in his time Gene had seen more that his fair share of young men lying down their lives for justice. He just never thought it would happen to Sam, he was so careful, so precise, but he never knew when to follow orders. He remembered the radio coming in telling him that Sam's car had gone into the river and Sam hadn't surfaced. He remembered going to his house…telling Annie. That was a memory that would haunt him forever. Sam and Annie were the perfect couple. And though he was a prick at times, Sam was a hero and a bloody good copper. Gene had to get out of this city. There was nothing to hold him back. Go somewhere. Anywhere. London.

***

Gene couldn't remember the last time he had got so pissed. Memories attacked him like sharks through a sea of whiskey, Sam's death, Annie's face, The Mrs' harsh words as she left, the baby. Losing the baby. He began to wonder, and not for the first time, if they hadn't lost their son, would things have been different? Now was not the time to dwell on the past.

"Gene?" Her soft voice asked catching, her normally attentive eyes glazed with the alcohol and pending tears. He looked back at her, she was so beautiful it hurt him to look at her sometimes. Knowing he'd never be good enough, young enough, smart enough for the pain in the backside which was his DI.

"Bolls?" He slurred "What's wrong?"

"You wouldn't understand…I'm going to my little girls birthday party, I _promised_."

"Why do you assume I've never had kids." The words slipped out before he could stop them. Shit.

She wasn't going to let it go. He'd have to tell her.

"I had a boy. Thomas. He died. Cot death they said. No-ones fault. Long time ago." He told her gruffly, the memories of his child's beautiful face stabbing at his heart. "And where's this girl you keep banging on about?"

He'd told her, now it was her turn to share.

"She's…with her God-father right now…I can't see her…I have to get home first."

He was too drunk to ask or care where home was. That suited Alex fine. So they sat, silent, lost in memories and drowning their troubles with cheap wine.

The next morning, Gene was shocked to find himself in Alex's flat, was he THAT drunk the night before? He was on the sofa, still fully clothed. That eased him a little, he was glad nothing had happened. Of course, she was gorgeous, but it would hurt too much, she was so out of his league and he knew that he wanted more than one drunken night.

"Bolls?" He asked, his head splitting, he staggered to the kitchen in search of a cold drink.

Alex wasn't there, she must still be in bed. He glanced over to her wall, the wall with her home made calendar, starting from the day she arrived. There were other things too. A newspaper article with Caroline Price's picture, and a number next to it. They were dead now, that day was also marked, but not for that reason, it said "Mum Dad" and a cross. A date of death? The same day as the Price's car bomb exploded leaving little ALEX orphaned?

Gene shook his head, he must still be drunk, thinking silly things like that, making connections in things that didn't need connecting, things that were impossible, always the copper. He dismissed the thought quickly as something else caught his eye. A sketch, not a fantastic work of art, but a quick sketch of a young girl, she looked oddly familiar. Was this Drake's daughter?

A noise made him jump, Alex stood in the doorway, and looked like she had been for a while, she was wearing just a large men's shirt, her slender legs exposed, he gulped, trying not to keep his gaze there too long. He remembered how she had come here, no clothes, no possessions, nothing, just the clothes she stood up in, if you could call them clothes…

"That's her." She said carefully. "And we're going to be late. You may want to change, or there'll be gossip."

She took control. As always. He just nodded and scanned the room for his coat. Pulling it on quickly, he sat down to put on his shoes. To his great surprise, she sat beside him.

"I've been thinking." She said slowly.

"Never a good sign Bolls, you might hurt yourself." He joked, not knowing what else to say.

"I've been thinking…and…" But she never finished the sentence, she leaned her head slowly towards him, she rested her forehead on his, their lips just inches apart. Gene couldn't breathe, his heart raced.

~*~

_Thanks for reading, please review. I know there's not much plot yet, I don't even know where I'm going with this one…_


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thanks to those who replied to the last chapter, and sorry, I did intend to write this chapter faster, but I still have no idea what's gonna happen next. And I'm not sure if that's good or bad…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own A2A, only in the late hours of the night when I'm dreaming…**

**Gene/Alex**

**Rating: hmm… I never get these rating things… obviously language, coz it's Gene, PG 13? Yeah, that'll do for this chapter, may go up later, depends what I do.**

*********

Chapter 2 - Inner turmoil.

At the last moment Alex hesitated, was this what she wanted? Was he what she wanted? After everything? Was she about to just give up hope? Except her fate and take Gene Hunt? No. She would fight this. She didn't want this, she wanted home, Molly, Evan, 2008. She couldn't get this involved. Almost sensing her tension a harsh shrill noise filled the room, she leapt back as though burnt and scrabbled for the phone. Gene didn't stay long enough to find out who was on the other end. She set the phone down after a short conversation and sighed, hurt. After all, Gene couldn't remember the night before.

She had lead him upstairs at closing time, both too drunk to care what others thought. In her flat they had drank even more, and she had ended up crying into his shoulder. They had kissed. And for a moment everything had seamed right. For a moment she had stopped fighting to get home, the turmoil in her head was put on hold. Had he felt the same? Felt the bolts of electricity down his spine? The fire on his skin when they touched, the longing from deep inside her when they kissed? She would never know. She had watched him fall into a drunken slumber on her sofa, watched as the millions of emotions etched into his worn features drained away leaving his face smooth and relaxed, he looked so different asleep. She sat and watched him for the whole night.

That's why she was crying now. Alone in her flat, wanting a man she didn't even know was real. She had spiralled out of control, getting in way too deep. Was this what was prolonging her time here? Preventing her return home? Emotional attachment? She had been thinking, after all, she'd dreamt this whole world up, but apparently she hadn't thought enough. She'd kissed him once drunkenly and had almost done so again, sober. Exactly how much damage was this bullet doing to her? He was Gene Hunt. People like them just didn't mix. Oil and water. 1981 and 2008.

She was late to work that day. She stayed at the flat, thinking of her lost daughter, wanting to go home. But why? What did she have at home that was worth fighting for? She could think of only one thing. Molly. But as each day, or nano-second depending on how you looked at it, passed the likely-hood of ever seeing her daughter again decreased dramatically and somehow the pain lessened. How many people survived a bullet wound to the head? Why couldn't she just enjoy being here? Why couldn't she just kiss Gene? Admit to loving him? He obviously wanted her. But that was it. Want. Not love, the Gene Genie didn't do love, of that she was certain. Would she become like DCI Sam Tyler? She couldn't let that happen, for Molly's sake she had to be strong, Sam had belonged in the 1970's in the end, she had never belonged here, totally out of time and completely out of sync.

When she eventually arrived at CID the Manc lion was in his den, agitated and obviously waiting for her.

"Drake! In here now!" His voice bellowed around the office and she knew she was in for it.

"What?" She spat, storming into the lion's den about to face the mighty Manc lion himself.

" Well thank you very much for gracing us with your presence, Bolly knickers. Where have you been all morning? Well, while you have undoubtedly been sleeping of that hangover I know you have, we are in the middle of a double murder enquiry!"

"And?"

"AND!? We're on our way to the crime scene!" He strode past her, she sighed, today was going to be just like every other day.

The ride in the Quattro was normal, Gene defying all speed limits, despite Alex's protests. That didn't mean that they beat the press to the scene though. Uniform were scattered everywhere, desperately trying to secure the scene whilst the vulture-like journalists tried snapping pictures and crossing barriers. It was a sorry sight. Things would never change.

"Jesus Christ." Chris's first words at the scene. They mirrored what everyone was thinking. 2 bodies lay on the floor, dumped by the look of it, right in the middle of the road. Their school uniforms bloodied and torn, long hair matted with their own blood. School girls.

It was a long and tiring day, first Gene and Alex had had to tell the proud parents of sisters Julia and Suzie Daniels why their girls had never come home from school, why they were never coming home from school. In her head, Alex's worst nightmare flashed before her eyes, being told that Molly was dead, being taken to see her own daughter cold and dead on a hard block in a sterile room. Then they had the tiring task of finding the killer, the evil bastard that had raped and killed two sisters, the youngest of whom had just celebrated her 12th birthday.

"We'll find him Bolls," He told her when they were alone in his office later. "We'll find the bastard and he'll go away forever."

"We owe it to them, and their parents. I'll find him Gene. I am in control."

"I want this scumbag Drake, I want him off my streets. But right now, it's late and there's a botte of red waiting for us at Luigi's."

Silence. Alex looked deep into Gene's eyes, trying to puzzle out the mysteries that lay beyond them, a thought flashed through her mind. _So alive, so real, how can those eyes not be real?_ She dismissed it quickly, replacing the thought with: _hell, if I'm here, I may as well enjoy it, so what if he just want's sex, I can give him sex, if by some miracle the man wants more, I can give him that too._

"You know, Gene. I really do need dinner tonight, and I would really appreciate some company, and there's that VHS of 'they died with their boots on' still propping up my coffee table…" She hinted, only half hoping that he'd catch on.

***

**A/N: Thanks for reading, review if you want, but I hope you liked it, otherwise there's no point in me writing it. I know it's not very long, but I'm trying to focus each chapter on either Alex or Gene, and I wanted to do the next bit with Gene, if you understand what I mean.  
**


	3. Chapter 3

_I am so sorry that it took this long to write this chapter, it's just been sitting here for nearly two weeks waiting to be posted, I'm sorry!_

********

Chapter 3- Temptation

His mouth was dry, his palms sweaty, there was no way to misinterpret what she'd just said, she was offering herself to him…how much had he dreamt of this? But he couldn't. What were her intentions? A one night stand? An itch she felt inclined to scratch? He didn't want to be an itch, he wanted to be a burning desire.

"I may have to take you up on that offer Bolly." He smiled his devilish smile. He would worry later, for now, he wanted it.

They went to Luigi's, it was safe there, if things went wrong then they could pretend it never happened and say it was a chance meeting, if things went right, then her apartment was only upstairs. Gene ordered them a bottle of red, more expensive than the usual, and he hoped she'd notice. He also strictly told Luigi not to let them get too drunk tonight as soon as Alex was out of earshot, if things progressed that evening then he didn't want it to be under the influence of alcohol, he wanted it to be real, that way, he'd know.

She ordered pasta, he did the same. They drank their wine slowly, savouring the taste for once. The conversation whilst they ate was light and neutral, deliberately not speaking about themselves, when they'd finished, they sat together with a new bottle, the conversation not as careful.

"So, Gene?" She asked, eyes sparkling. "What do you want from me?"

"I want…" he hesitated, what did he want? _I want to take you upstairs right now and give you the time of your life? I want to tell you… What?? _"I want an answer Bolls, what am I to you?"

She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, Gene Hunt, you prat.

"You're Gene Hunt, my callous, rude, pre-historic boss, that just so happens to be the very thing that's keeping me here."

Was she serious? What did she mean? Bloody women! He just poured her some more wine.

An hour later, Alex stood ready to leave and held out a hand to Gene. "What do you say, Gene, 'they died with their boots on'?" She smiled.

She had had too much to drink, damn that Italian and his soft heart. He couldn't take her like this; his mind tried to tell his body, even though it wasn't listening, his blood pulsed through his veins at an enormous speed, and he just wanted to say yes. To take her hand, follow her upstairs…But he knew a part of him would never, could never…for Christ's sake she was his DI!

"I can't Bolls, long day tomorrow, and I didn't exactly get much kip last night on that ruddy sofa." even to himself the excuse sounded so lame.

Her disappointment was evident and he just wished he knew what was going on in her head. She politely thanked him for the meal and headed towards the stairs alone. He couldn't do it.

"Alex?" He reached out for her arm and felt the familiar tingle from their physical contact.

"Gene?"

She didn't say anymore. His lips were on hers, kissing her slowly. His arms found their way around the small of her back and hers around his neck. It was better than he'd ever imagined, ever fantasized, God she tasted so wonderful. Everything he'd never told her, everything he'd ever thought about her, he poured into the kiss, she was so amazing, he could do this forever and never tire of DI Alex Drake. She surprised him even then, the kiss changed, became aggressive and heated, much like their never-ending arguments.

The sound of glass shattering reminded them of where they were. Chris had dropped a bottle, Luigi was spouting profanities in Italian, and most importantly Alex was smiling.

"Good night Alex." He told her quietly, making his way to the door. He felt wonderful _and_ he was sober.

"Good night Gene" She whispered back and turned to the steps once more.

What was that? If he'd just wanted sex he'd have had her there and then, especially after that kiss, how did he just walk away? Did he care more than she thought? Was Gene Hunt capable of being a gentleman? Alex practically skipped up the stairs feeling surreally elated. Happy. The feeling felt strange, for the first time in a long long time she was truly happy. Shit. She'd never get home now, God this was confusing. She turned the key in her door, this was feeling more and more like home, she was even growing to like the style, the clothes and -God help her- her curly hair.

Across town, Gene was just arriving back at his own flat. He slung his coat over the arm chair as he usually did, kicked off his shoes and already had the scotch bottle in his hand before he even reached the kitchen for a glass. What the hell. He drank it straight from the bottle. What a night. All he could think about was her, all he could feel was the soft silk-like texture of her skin, her lips, her scent. It was getting bad now. It was way beyond want now, the old and unfamiliar feeling in his gut was all pointing in the direction of something more, something powerful. And all by some leggy, nutty, posh bird. He sighed. His eyes scanned the flat he could never truly call home, he had very few comforts and the space possessed a feel that it was rarely inhabited, Gene never spent more time than was necessary there, it only reminded him of how lonely he was.

Without really thinking, he sat down and pulled a small tin box towards him, it was dinted and old and contained his most prized possessions.

Slowly, he emptied the contents onto his unused coffee table: an old black and white photograph of a much younger him and his ex-wife on their wedding day, an even older one of his parents, the St Christopher that had once belonged to Sam Tyler, an extremely old child-like drawing of the two Hunt brothers, Gene and Stuart, a lock of blonde hair and a photograph of the child to which it belonged- the only existing photo of Thomas Hunt.

What had become of him? The mighty Manc Lion who's life had been reduced to little more than a tin box full of crumpled bits of paper. In a city where no-one knew him, DCI Gene Hunt was almost drowning. London was too big for him, though he'd never admit it. For years it had all been about the job, it ate at you, one man could only see so much death before it took it's toll. The Missus had seen it, she had seen her loveable husband turn cold and heartless, a slave to the job, he'd never been home, when he was, he was drunk. Gene was a monster. He was glad she'd left him. Now what was he doing? Alex was a lot younger than him, better looking, educated, posh, why did he even think he had a chance? He honestly didn't know anymore, when he first saw her, it had been lust, sex-drive, but over time had it developed into something more. All this thinking made his head hurt, he put the bottle to his lips again and lit a cigarette.

That night Gene Hunt once again dreamt of Alex Drake. And not for the first time, Alex Drake dreamt of Gene Hunt.

****

_Is this the end? TBH I have no idea, is it? You decide for me please :P And thank you so much for actually bothering to read! I love you all!_

_Bolly_

_xx JM xx_


	4. Chapter 4

_This chapter is just fluff okay? Total fluff, still, hope you like it. I really didn't know what to write for this one. It's a mixture of all sorts of things that were running through my head so it probably doesn't make sense. If it doesn't then I'm sorry._

_*****  
_

Chapter 4 -The Beginning and the End

Alex woke up alone, again. Her hands searching the cold side of the bed for the warmth of another human being as she rolled over and she was once again disappointed to find nothing, no one. It wasn't the first time, every morning for the past few weeks she had woken hoping to find the sleeping face of her DCI next to her. It hadn't happened. He was never there, no matter how much she wanted it, it was just a dream. It was always a dream.

"What's happening to me Molls?" She asked the mousey haired child in the corner of her eye, not turning to get a better view. Never seeing her child's face.

"I used to be so sure. This is a lie, you are truth, you're real. A thin blue line, but the line is blurring, I don't know any more. Can he be real too? Can this messed up and twisted world be real? Can I find truth here? Would it hurt him if I left?"

The child offered no answer, didn't move, Alex hated the silence.

"I don't want to leave you Molly. I don't want you to lose me like I lost them and to be quite frank, your father is useless" She tried to joke, tears in her eyes. "I don't want you to grow up the way I did, I'd give anything to change that, but all these months…nothing, no voices, no messages, no clowns, I think-" She stopped and let the tears trail down her cheeks before continuing.

"I think I might be dead already."

Her daughter didn't even blink as she silently watched her mother break down.

"But then it's okay? Isn't it Molls? I can be happy here? Maybe…Maybe I'm meant to have a life here? Maybe I've been sent here for a reason? If I'm dead there I can live here with him? Can I have a chance with him? Can you be happy for me? Molly? Please tell me it's okay!"

Molly offered her nothing. Said nothing. She was just a ghost, a ghost of a girl yet to be born.

Alex couldn't keep her eyes away any longer, she needed to see her little girl, see her face, hold her close. Alex turned and she was gone. Like she was never there.

**

Gene watched her from his office, her head bent in concentration and her bouncy hair falling in front of her face, her beautiful eyes darting over the words on the page, her brain working at full speed. The rest of the team were at Luigi's already, there was only one thing, one person stopping him from joining them. She seamed to sense him looking, she looked up and their eyes locked. Gene didn't avert his gaze, not this time, it had gone on long enough. Each time they got close she pushed him away, he needed to know why, it physically hurt him not knowing. After that kiss, weeks ago, nothing had happened. He had tried, twice, but she shied away not giving him a proper answer. He wasn't going to ask her again, he couldn't face the rejection. She wouldn't commit to him and he couldn't blame her. He just wanted to know why. Was it something to do with her going "home" as she seamed to speculate every 5 minutes? Was she scared of having a reason to stay? And this little girl of her's? What about her? Maybe Alex just didn't want him. Something had to give. She responded by some unspoken message by getting to her feet and slowly, her hips swaying slightly, making her way to his office.

"Gene" She said softly, entering his office without permission.

"DI Drake."

She tried not to look taken aback by his use of her rank and continued.

"I want to tell you something." She looked genuinely excited.

"Go on Bolls"

"Gene…I think, I think I'm ready."

"Ready for what you daft bird?"

"Ready to try. I don't think I'll ever be able to get home, so I want to be happy. I owe it to her"

"You know, you never make any sense what-so-ever" He teased leaning forward slightly, close enough to…no it was up to her this time. Only if she wanted it.

"Gene" She breathed. "I think I'm making a very important connection"

"And what's that Bolls?" He smiled.

"That I might just be happy with you, happy _her_e."

She closed the gap between their faces, her lips locking with his in a very happy, very real way. She had made a connection.

Her head was spinning, she placed her hand over his heart just feel it pulsate between her fingers, in return he twirled one of her many dark curls around his finger, neither spoke, they'd done enough speaking. Now was a time for doing. With one hand on his chest, she used her other to stroke his cheek, he was in need of a shave and his skin felt rough but she wouldn't have changed him for the world. It was all a part of the wonder that was Gene Hunt. Her Gene. The Truth in the lie.

"Can we do this properly?" She whispered almost to herself.

"We can do this however you like Alex" He replied equally soft.

"Good…good…" She trailed off looking down. He reached a finger under her chin and gently raised her head to kiss her again.

"Is this what you want Bolls? Is this what you _really _want? Don't settle with me, don't do this."

"I want you." She said, her eyes certain and her heart set.

She took his hand in hers and lead him through the door of his office, out of CID, out of Fenchurch East and into the night. Neither spoke, he allowed her to navigate him, trusting her. She paused at Luigi's but didn't take the steps down to the wine bar, instead, she lead him up.

The silence was consuming them as they entered her flat. Alex hated it, all these months of silence, silence from Home, the silence of her daughter, she couldn't stand it any longer, she had to break it.

"You are the only certain thing in my life right now, Gene. The only thing I can rely on. I don't know what's happening to me, or how long I'll be here, but I want you. I want to share this with you. My guardian angel."

Gene didn't know what to say. He had never been good with feelings, they were the pesky things that got in the way, but he couldn't ignore the entirety of what she'd just said. He intended to show her.

**

Alex woke as she did most mornings; thinking of Gene. But with a huge difference. She didn't open her eyes, using her other senses to capture the magic of the moment, she had woken up in his arms, her head buried into his bare chest, his heart thumping into her ear, his unique aroma filling her lungs, the sweet sound of his soft snores and his breath in her hair. This was what she wanted, every morning, like this. To wake up with the man she loved. Yes _loved._

She didn't want to move, it would break the spell. But there was someone who she needed to see, one last time. She opened her eyes slowly, and untangled her limbs from Gene's, he didn't stir. Alex sat on the edge of the bed, looking into the mirror to the reflection of the young girl. Molly didn't speak. She just smiled softly, nodded once and blew her mother a final kiss before disappearing forever.

"Goodbye Molly, I love you."

**

Fin

~*~

_Thanks for reading, this is definitely the end basically because I couldn't think of a decent plot line for it so it turned into lots of fluff. I have an idea for another fic, but I'm not sure how long it will take to write, anyway, thanks for reading this one!_

_All my love_

_Bolly_

_xxJMxx_


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